Wild Rice, Pear and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Walnuts

3 cups water

1 cup wild rice or a rice blend

1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes (4 cups)

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

2 large scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 medium ripe pears, cored but not peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup walnut pieces, coarsely chopped, for garnish

First, cook the wild rice: Add the water to a 2-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook.

For hand-harvested wild rice, start checking in 20 minutes. Cultivated rice may take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once the rice is tender and just starting to split apart at the ends, drain well. Let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

Combine the wild rice, sweet potatoes, parsley, scallions and pears in a large mixing bowl. (If you're planning to refrigerate the salad for a few days, leave out the pears at this point.)

Whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl, until emulsified.

Pour the dressing over the wild rice mixture and toss to coat. Serve topped with walnuts.

6 servings (makes about 7 cups)

Nutrition | Per serving: 370 calories, 7 g protein, 52 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 7 g dietary fiber, 15 g sugar

Adapted from "The Whole Grain Promise: More Than 100 Delicious Recipes to Jumpstart a Healthier Diet," by Robin Asbell (Running Press, 2015).